New Year Spring Excursion: A Sheep-Seeking Journey — Bronze Sheep, Gazelles, and Flying “Happy Sheep”

▲ Chu Wei’s bronze sculpture “Chu Wei’s Childhood,” depicting him herding sheep. (Photo / Provided by Chu Wei Art Museum)

Reported by Chen Rui-zhong / Comprehensive Report

The Chu Wei Art Museum has prepared a series of activities to celebrate the New Year. These include handing out lucky Spring Festival couplets and launching a new interactive exhibition called “Knock Knock Knock Sculpture Exploration Workshop—Kaler Transformation Party (Color Party).” From February 19 to March 8, there will also be three sheep-year limited-edition good-luck gift bags available for purchase.

The Chu Wei Art Museum announced that it will undergo annual renovations from February 9 to 18, with the park reopening on February 19. During the Year of the Sheep, visitors to the Chu Wei Art Museum can see the bronze sculpture “Chu Wei’s Childhood,” depicting a young Chu Wei herding sheep, in the Human Realm Plaza, as well as enjoy the vibrant and interactive exhibition. Additionally, Chu Wei has written the auspicious Spring Festival couplet phrase “Joyful and Prosperous” (喜气洋洋), which will be given to the first 50 visitors with tickets on the first five days of the Lunar New Year and to certain customers making specific purchases. The museum’s shopping street will also offer sheep-year limited-edition good-luck gift bags, starting at NT$888 each.

▲ A Nubian ibex at Taipei Zoo. (Photo / Provided by Taipei Zoo)

After viewing the small sheep in bronze sculptures, the public can also go to Taipei Zoo to see real sheep. Taipei Zoo will open earlier at 8:30 a.m. from the second to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. During the Spring Festival period, the zoo has arranged a rich variety of activities, including film screenings, thematic special exhibitions, photo opportunities, red envelope giveaways, animal friends’ New Year greetings, storytelling by animal caretakers, as well as events like “Proudly Celebrating the New Year” and “Zoo Spring Stroll: Snap a Selfie with the Sheep.”

Taipei Zoo stated that from February 14 to the end of the year, it is hosting the “Mountain Sage – Sheep Year Special Exhibition,” introducing various sheep species closely related to humans. In addition to the Formosan serow found in the Taiwan Native Species Area, visitors can also see the Nubian ibex in the Desert Area, the eland in the Africa Area, the East African oryx, the bongo, and the Barbary sheep in the North Africa Area, as well as the alpaca—which isn’t actually a sheep—to enjoy a “sheep-seeking” Spring Stroll within the zoo.

▲ The “Happy Sheep” sky lantern launched at the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. (Provided by New Taipei City Government)

Beyond bronze sheep and real sheep, the New Taipei City Government has also introduced a flying “Happy Sheep” sky lantern at this year’s Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. On February 22, a popular cartoon-style Happy Sheep sky lantern will be released, followed by a large 12TN hot air balloon-shaped sky lantern on February 27. On March 5, during the Lantern Festival, paper-cutting sky lanterns will also be launched, allowing the public to experience the creativity and inspiration of the sky lantern festival.